Birth
by The Angry Lioness
Summary: Ariadne welcomes her new daughter Alice into the world but it doesn't come without pain.


"How is she?" Cobb asked running over to Arthur in the hospital lobby.

"Her water broke an hour ago." Said Arthur. "They won't let me see her yet."

Arthur and Ariadne knew that the baby was due in the middle of March. The early surprise threw them off. Ariadne was in the baby's nursery, sitting on the rocking chair. Looking out the window, she imagined herself in the future, sitting in that chair with her new daughter.

Her name was going to be Alice. She and Arthur both loved that name for a girl and got the idea from the same source; a classic children's book. Alice's room was covered in _Alice In Wonderland_ décor.

When she got herself to stand up, Ariadne felt like a knife slid through her. She stood there frozen. "Arthur!" she yelled urgently. He rushed into the baby's room and found her on the floor crying. That's when he brought her to the hospital and called her sisters.

"I called a babysitter as soon as I heard." Said Cobb. "Are you ok?"

"Am I ok?" Arthur repeated. "She's the one in labor, Cobb."

"Arthur!" he turned and saw Ariadne's sister Mirra walking towards him, Jenaya following behind.

"Good, you're here."

"I didn't miss a fashion show for nothing." Said Mirra. "Where's Ariadne?"

"Getting set up." Said Arthur. "They're not letting me in yet."

"No problem." Said Mirra confidently. "Let's go Jen."

"I don't know if I wanna go in there, I mean there's screaming and blood-"

"Come on." Mirra grabbed her twin's wrist and pulled her down the hall. Arthur glanced at them slightly amused at their clashing personalities.

"Did you call Eames?" Cobb asked. Arthur shook his head.

"No."

"Yusuf called me and told me they were coming."

"And how did they find out?"

"Don't you remember? Yusuf and Jenaya have been dating. She must have gotten over-excited again and told him."

"Great." Arthur sighed. "Then again that girl can't be quiet about anything."

Mirra and Jenaya entered a small room of moans and cries. Ariadne was laying on the gurney, fully dressed as a patient but slowly suffering. She looked up at her sisters and gave them a weak smile.

"How are you feeling?" Mirra asked sweetly.

"I've never been in so much pain." Her sister complained. "They won't give me anything to stop it either."

"They will soon." Said Mirra. "I'll make sure they do, ok?"

"Where's Arthur?"

"He's in the lobby. He'll be in here as soon as he can." Jenaya took a seat beside the bed.

"It's a bitch I know." Said Mirra. "But I had three babies at once, remember?" Ariadne nodded. "If I can push three babies out of my uterus, you can defiantly let out one. Are you ready?"

"I am never getting pregnant again." Said Ariadne.

"Well it's a good thing you're having a girl." Said Jenaya. "So you won't have to try again."

"You kind of look like that Juno girl right now." Mirra commented. "I just noticed that."

"If Alice wasn't causing me so much agony, I would kill you for saying that!" Ariadne cried. "Ou, ou, ou! Fuck it hurt's!"

The nurse walked in and Mirra immediately demanded pain relievers. Ariadne was literally screaming bloody murder. Arthur could hear and it tempted him more to run in.

"Also, let her husband in." Mirra ordered. The nurse nervously nodded.

"Was she thinking of something interesting?" Jenaya asked curiously.

"I didn't read her mind." Said Mirra. "I'm not in the mood to."

"You know…" Jenaya looked at Ariadne. "You really do look like Juno."

Ariadne lifted her hand and flipped her off. "I will get you guys."

"You're making me nervous now!" said Jenaya. "I want kids but your making me change my mind now."

"Then take my advice;" said Mirra. "Get knocked up only once and make sure the sperm is from someone who's actually responsible."

Ariadne's neck craned to the side as Arthur came in. The sight of her child's father made her feel made the pain reside slightly. "How are you?" he asked taking her hand.

"I'm ok now." She said gently squeezing his. Arthur smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Your ok." He said sweetly. "You're going to get though this."

"Please stay with me." She said.

"Absolutely." He said.

"Ahhh…" Jenaya gushed. Mirra glared at her.

"Could you give them some privacy?"

"But they're so cute together."

"Guys." Ariadne interrupted. "Please don't. Not now."

"Of course." Said Mirra apologetically. "As for you…" she looked over at the nurse. "When are you gonna give her the spinal tap?"

Through the front doors of the hospital came a chemist and a forger. They had a little difficulty with the revolving door and ended up going in circle before breaking out. Thoughts of their new niece exhausted them.

"Cobb." Eames walked over. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure, they won't tell me anything."

"That's what I hate about doctors." Said Yusuf. "They never tell you anything."

"Arthurs with her right now and your girlfriend is also in the room." Said Cobb.

"Oh no." Yusuf shook his head. "When she see's all that blood she's going to faint!"

"No darling, Arthur's going to faint." Said Eames. "I'm surprised she was the one to get pregnant in the first place."

"Eames." Cobb. "Now's not the time."

"Well how long has she been in labor?" Yusuf asked.

"A couple hours. It will be a while before the baby actually comes."

"Well how bloody long does it take to have a baby?" Eames asked rather shocked at the complications of childbirth.

"Well Mal was in labor for two days when she had Phillipa." Said Cobb. "Usually it only takes a day."

"That's brilliant." Said Eames sarcastically. A sharp cry echoed into the lobby taking Yusuf by surprise. "That must be her."

The hours felt like days as Ariadne lay in the hospital room. Her face was red with sweat and the rest of her body was losing color.

"Why can't it just come out already?" she cried in agony to her sister. Mirra sighed.

"Kids cause us pain before they they're born." She said. "It comes in the package."

"You're not fully dilated yet." Dr. Denilla explained. Ariadnes head fell back on the pillow and she moaned in pain.

"Just get her out!"

"You have to be patient." Said Arthur, taking a rag and wiping the sweat off her forehead.

"Just a little longer." Said Jenaya.

"My God it fucking hurts!" Ariadne wheezed in more air. Arthur took her shaking hand and held it steady.

"Listen to me." He said. "You're going to get through this. You've always wanted a daughter and now your going to have one."

"And she's going to be beautiful." Said Mirra.

"Oh my God she's moving!" Ariadne cried out. She gripped Arthur's hand tightly.

"She's coming alright." Said Denilla looking through her gown. "You've seen all of this in the movies and you know what to do. Now it's time."

"And fire." Said Mirra.

Two hours later, Ariadne fell back onto the bed as Denilla's nurse took a pair of scissors and cut the umbilical cord. The baby was heard crying as she took her first breath out of the safety of her mother.

"See?" Mirra asked. "That's not as bad as having three kids at a time."

"Where are they taking my baby?" Ariadne asked rapidly.

"They're just cleaning her up." Said Arthur. "They're not going to take the baby."

"I should have told you that the spinal tap makes the woman a little insane still after the birth." Said Mirra. "Ari might act a little crazy."

"I remember that." Said Jenaya. "You kept on saying you were going to kill Robert."

"And he was all 'What did I do?'" Mirra recalled with a giggle. "I'm impressed you didn't faint this time."

"I'm proud of myself." Said Jenaya with a clap.

"Good." Said Ariadne. "Because it's your turn to get knocked up."

"And were gonna tape this one." Said Mirra evilly.

Jenaya's face paled as Ariadne's head turned to see the nurse reenter the room. In her arms was a pink blanket bundled around Ariadne's new pitter-patter of little feet. She smiled at the sight and sat up.

"Congratulations." Said the nurse for the hundredth time. "You now have a healthy baby girl."

"Let me have her." Said Ariadne reaching out her arms.

Arthur took the baby from the nurse's arms and held her to his chest. "Can you give us some alone time?" he politely asked the twins. Mirra pulled Jenaya out of the room. When they were the only two adults in the room, Arthur put Alice into her mother's arms.

"She's perfect." She gushed. "Just how I imagined."

"How does it feel to finally have the one thing you always wanted?"

"It's amazing." Said Ariadne running a hand over Alice's head. "And I was so afraid she wouldn't cry." Alice yawned and shifted her head. "I'm so happy to finally meet you Alice." She used a higher voice. "I've only seen you before in my dreams."

"I better be sure the chase the boy's away with a stick." Said Arthur. Ariadne giggled.

"Your sounding like a father already."

"Well I thought I'd never become one."

Ariadne kissed Alice's forehead to be given a surprise. The infant's eyes opened for the first time to immediately light up the room. They were just like her father's.

"I told you she looks like you." Ariadne sighed with joy. She reached her finger out and Alice stared into it, marveled. Her tiny hand reached for it and she curled her skinny fingers around it.

Arthur brought out his die and rolled it onto the nightstand. Two. In slight disbelief, he rolled it again. Two. This was reality.

And he loved it.


End file.
